Winding material on a core

ABSTRACT

A method, of applying a helical winding of filamentary material, to a core, comprises the steps of: I. FORMING THE FILAMENTARY WINDING MATERIAL INTO A SPIRAL OF WHICH THE INNER END IS SECURED TO OR WOUND ON THE CORE AND THE OUTER END IS CONTINUED BY A BULK SUPPLY OF THE WINDING MATERIAL; II. RELATIVELY MOVING THE CORE AXIALLY THROUGH THE SPIRAL SO AS TO CAUSE THE WINDING MATERIAL TO BE DRAWN INTO A HELIX ABOUT THE CORE; III. SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING RELATIVE ROTATION OF THE INNERMOST TURN OF THE SPIRAL WITH RESPECT TO THE OUTERMOST TURN OF THE SPIRAL IN THE DIRECTION TO CAUSE THE INNERMOST TURN TO BECOME SMALLER; IV. FEEDING WINDING MATERIAL TO THE OUTERMOST TURN OF THE SPIRAL AT THE SAME RATE AS IT IS REMOVED FROM THE INNERMOST TURN OF THE SPIRAL.

Unite States Patent [191 Rebbettes May 6,1975

[ WINDING MATERIAL ON A CORE [75] Inventor: Peter Rebbettes, Dorset, England [73] Assignee: Aerostatic Limited, Poole, England [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 397,759

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 27, 1972 United Kingdom 44593/72 [52] US. Cl. 57/18; 57/3; 57/160 [51] Int. Cl B6511 81/08 [58] Field of Search ..57/3,1l,18,16, 17, 160; 242/4 R, 6

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,910,822 11/1959 Bunch 57/18 3,000,167 9/1961 Pierce, Jr l 57/3 3,273,814 9/1966 Prusak et al. 57/3 X 3,296,784 1/1967 Guiton 57/18 3,714,769 2/1973 Tsuchiya et a1 57/3 Primary ExaminerJohn Petrakes Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William Anthony Drucker [57] ABSTRACT A method, of applying a helical winding of filamentary material, to a core, comprises the steps of:

i. forming the filamentary winding material into a spiral of which the inner end is secured to or wound on the core and the outer end is continued by a bulk supply of the winding material;

ii. relatively moving the core axially through the spiral so as to cause the winding material to be drawn into a helix about the core;

iii. simultaneously causing relative rotation of the innermost turn of the spiral with respect to the outermost turn of the spiral in the direction to cause the innermost turn to become smaller;

iv feeding winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same rate as it is removed from the innermost turn of the spiral.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WINDING MATERIAL ON A CORE This invention relates to the helical winding of filamentary material on a core.

Conventionally, this is obtained by rotation of a feed member, supplying the winding material, about the core, as the core moves relatively axially. If the feed member supplies the winding material in a simple tangential feed to the core, the feed member has to perform one complete rotation for each completed turn of the helical winding. For high speed winding, this necessarily entails a relatively high speed of rotation of the feed member.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of winding, and apparatus for carrying out that method, whereby the feed member may rotate at a speed which is considerably lower than the rate at which completed turns of helical winding are applied to the core.

According to the present invention, a method of applying a helical winding of filamentary material to a core comprises the steps of:

i. forming the filamentary winding material into a spiral of which the inner end is secured to or wound on the core and the outer end is continued by a bulk supply of the winding material;

ii. relatively moving the core axially through the spiral so as to cause the winding material to be drawn into a helix about the core;

iii. simultaneously causing relative rotation of the innermost turn of the spiral with respect to the outermost turn of the spiral in the direction to cause the innermost turn to become smaller, and

iv. feeding winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same rate as it is removed from the innermost turn of the spiral.

These functions may be carried out simultaneously and at constant speed, such that winding of the material onto the core is smooth and continuous.

In a preferred method, step (iii) thereof is effected by causing feed of winding material at a constant rate to the outermost turn of the spiral, and simultaneously causing at least the innermost turn of the spiral to rotate in the direction and at such a speed as to tend to tighten up the spiral.

With such a method, the speed at which the feeding means rotates can be less than the rate of formation of helical turns by the ratio of the outside diameter of the core to the outside diameter of the outermost turn of the spiral.

Apparatus suitable for use in carrying out the abovedescribed method comprises rotatable feeding means for frictionally holding at least the innermost turn of a spiral of winding material therein, said feeding means having an axial opening, means for feeding a core through said opening at constant speed, means for supplying winding material to the outermost turn of the sprial at the same speed at which material is transferred from the innermost winding of the spiral to the core, and means for rotating the feeding means at a speed which, relative to the speed supply, is such as to tend to cause said innermost turn to become smaller.

In a preferred form, the means for supplying winding material is rotary and is coupled, for rotation, through a slipping clutch mechanism to the feeding means.

The feeding means may comprise a rotary feeder body, a presser member, and means for urging the feeder body and the presser member axially towards each other, said feeder body and presser member having respective radial faces defining a gap to receive the spiral. In a convenient arrangement, the core is moved through the feeding means by haul-off rollers having a common drive with the feeding means, and such drive may also be common to the above-described rotary filament-supplying means.

In order that the nature of the invention may be readily ascertained, an embodiment of apparatus and its method of operation, in accordance with the invention, are hereinafter particularly described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a central axial section of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a diagram to show the formation of the spiral and the transfer of the winding material from the innermost turn of the spiral onto the core.

Referring to FIG. 1, the machine comprises a stationary frame 1 having a bore 2 within which there are provided two bearings 3, 4 for a shaft 5. At one end, the bore 2 opens into a second bore 6 of greater diameter. At that end, the body 1 is stepped to receive and locate a mounting ring 7 which can be secured in its position on the body 1 by a plurality of releasable toggles 8. The mounting ring 7 carries a plurality of bolts 9 serving as sliding guides for an annulus 10 which is urged towards the mounting ring by a plurality of compression springs 11 carried by the bolts'9.

The annulus 10 has a bore 12 within which is received a bearing 13 for a rotatable shaft 14.

The shaft 5 has an axial passage 15, and the shaft 14 has an aligned axial passage 16. Through the passages 15 and 16 there is passed a core 17, reg. a metal cable, which is fed in the direction of the arrow 18 by haul-off rollers (not shown).

At one end of the shaft 5 there is provided a flange 19 having its end face plane and radial. The shaft 14 has, at the adjacent end, a flange 20 with its opposed end face plane and radial. A lipped insert 21 is seated in a recess in the end of shaft 14, opposed to the radial end face of the flange 19.

At the other end, the shaft 5 carries a sleeve 22 of frictional material secured to the internal periphery of a drive pinion 23, such that a frictional slipping clutch is formed between the drive pinion 23 and the shaft 5.

The body has a second bore 24 in which are provided bearings 25, 26 for an auxiliary shaft 27. At one end, the shaft 27 is keyed to a drive pinion 28 which is in drive connection, through a chain, belt or pair of pinions, with the pinion 23, and rotates in the same direction. At its other end, the shaft 27 carries a drum 29 which serves, in the manner explained below, to provide feed of winding material at a controlled rate.

To commence the winding operation, the whole of the assembly of the mounting ring 7, annulus l0 and shaft 14 is removed from the body 1, by unlatching of the toggles 8.

Filamentary winding material, such as a wire, is fed through an opening 30 in the body 1 and through the bore of the shaft 14. Then the assembly of mounting ring 7, annulus l0 and shaft 14 is re-positioned on the body 1 and latched in place. This causes the wire to be gripped lightly between insert 21 and flange 19. The shaft 14 is then rotated manually for an appropriate number of turns, causing wire to be drawn in radially, through opening 30, and formed into a plane spiral the turns of which are all gripped frictionally between the of the wire (i.e. that end adjoining the outermost turn of the spiral) is passed twice round the drum 29.

The core material 17, e.g. a wire cable, is passed through the passages and 16, and the leading end of the core 17 and the leading end of the winding wire are both engaged with suitable haul-off rollers (not shown) adapted to draw the core 17 through in the direction of the arrow 18. The drive of the haul-off rollers is also coupled to the shaft 27, e.g. through a pinion 31, the relative speeds being adjusted as a function of core speed and wire speed.

With reference to FIG. 2, as the shaft 5 rotates and the core 17 is pulled through, the drag on the wire 32 forming the spiral causes the innermost turn of the spiral to become wrapped about the core 17 as a helix. Because the shaft 5 tries to rotate (driven through the slipping clutch 23, 22) at a speed which is greater than that rotation of the drum 29 will permit feed of wire 32 to the outermost turn of the spiral, the spiral is continually being tightened or closed up, that is to say each innermost turn as it is removed is replaced by another innermost turn of the same diameter. Thus, the turns of the spiral always remain fully closed up, ie all of the turns are always touching the adjacent turn or turns. The peripheralspeed of the drum 29 is adjusted to be exactly that which is required to permit feed of wire, to the spiral, to replace that wire which is removed from the in- ,ne'rmost end as a helix.

It will be seen that the shaft 5 rotates at that speed which is necessary to keep the wire 32 fed to the spiral at the radius of the outermost (largest) turn of the spiral, whereas turns of the helix about the core are being formed at the rate governed by the same wire feed speed in relation to the much smaller outside diameter of the core. Accordingly for a given rate of rotation of the shaft 5, helical turns are applied to the core at a rate which may be considerably multiplied.

I claim: 1. A method, of applying a helical winding of filamentary material, to a core, comprising the steps of:

i. forming the filamentary winding material into a spiral of which the inner end is connected to the core and the outer end is continued by a bulk supply of the winding material;

ii. relatively moving the core axially through the spiral so as to cause the innermost turn of the spiral of winding material to be drawn into a helix about the core;

iii. simultaneously causing relative rotation of the innermost turn of the spiral with respect to the outermost turn of the spiral in the direction to cause the innermost turn to become smaller;

iv. feeding winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same rate as it is removed from the innermost turn of the spiral.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (iii) thereof is effected by causing feed of winding material at a constant rate to the outermost turn of the spiral and simultaneously causing at least the innermost turn of the spiral to rotate in that direction and at that speed which tend to tighten up the spiral. v

3. Apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1, comprising rotatable feeding means for frictionally holding at least the innermost turn of a spiral of wind ing material therein, said feeding means having an axial opening, means for feeding a core through said opening at constant speed, means for supplying winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same speed at which material is transferred from the innermost winding of the spiral to the core, and means for rotating the feeding means at a speed which, relative to the speed of supply, is such as to tend to cause said innermost turn to become smaller.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means for supplying winding material is rotary and is coupled, for rotation, through a slipping clutch mechanism to the feeding means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the feeding means comprises a rotary feeder body, a presser member, and means for urging the feeder body and presser member axially towards each other, said feeder body and presser member having respective radial faces defining a gap to receive the spiral.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the feeding means comprises a rotary feeder body, a presser member, and means for urging the feeder body and presser member axially towards each other, said feeder body and presser member having respective radial faces defining a gap to receive the spiral. 

1. A method, of applying a helical winding of filamentary material, to a core, comprising the steps of: i. forming the filamentary winding material into a spiral of which the inner end is connected to the core and the outer end is continued by a bulk supply of the winding material; ii. relatively moving the core axially through the spiral so as to cause the innermost turn of the spiral of winding material to be drawn into a helix about the core; iii. simultaneously causing relative rotation of the innermost turn of the spiral with respect to the outermost turn of the spiral in the direction to cause the innermost turn to become smaller; iv. feeding winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same rate as it is removed from the innermost turn of the spiral.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (iii) thereof is effected by causing feed of winding material at a constant rate to the outermost turn of the spiral and simultaneously causing at least the innermost turn of the spiral to rotate in that direction and at that speed which tend to tighten up the spiral.
 3. Apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1, comprising rotatable feeding means for frictionally holding at least the innermost turn of a spiral of winding material therein, said feeding means having an axial opening, means for feeding a core through said opening at constant speed, means for supplying winding material to the outermost turn of the spiral at the same speed at which material is transferred from the innermost winding of the spiral to the core, and means for rotating the feeding means at a speed which, relative to the speed of supply, is such as to tEnd to cause said innermost turn to become smaller.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means for supplying winding material is rotary and is coupled, for rotation, through a slipping clutch mechanism to the feeding means.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein the feeding means comprises a rotary feeder body, a presser member, and means for urging the feeder body and presser member axially towards each other, said feeder body and presser member having respective radial faces defining a gap to receive the spiral.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the feeding means comprises a rotary feeder body, a presser member, and means for urging the feeder body and presser member axially towards each other, said feeder body and presser member having respective radial faces defining a gap to receive the spiral. 